Teaching system

ABSTRACT

A teaching system having a plurality of self-contained teaching units ( 5, 6, 7 ). Each unit has a programmable processor to carry out a study programme, a display ( 9 ), an input device ( 10 ) and a memory ( 12 ) for storing data input by a user. The system also has a central processor ( 1 ), to which each reaching unit can be connected directly or indirectly, for generating and downloading insructions to enable the teaching units to be programmed, and for receiving and processing the content of each teaching unit memory.

The invention relates to a teaching system.

In recent years, teachers of pupils of all ages have started to make useof computerized teaching systems such as Integrated Learning Systems(ILS), which enable pupils to interact with a computer such as apersonal computer (PC). In some examples the PC is programmed to providea mixture of tutorial information such as explanations of ideas and thelike together with sets of questions related to the tutorial informationwhich the pupil must answer. These answers can then be analyzed andfurther questions then follow a path depending upon the responses to thequestions. The problem with known teaching systems is that they are veryexpensive to implement. Typically, each pupil must be provided with a PCat which to work making it prohibitive for all pupils in a typical classof 30 to work with a computer at the same time. Even for smaller groups,the cost of providing PCs for each member of the group is expensive.

other products include educational toys but these have limitedprocessing power, and graphical calculators which have been adapted totake basic mathematical activities from a computer. Again, they havelimited abilities.

In accordance with the present invention, a teaching system comprises aplurality of self-contained teaching units, each unit having aprogrammable processor which is individually programmable to carry out astudy programme, a display, an input device and a memory for storingdata input by a user; and a central processor, to which each teachingunit can be connected directly or indirectly, for generating anddownloading instructions to enable each teaching unit to be programmed,and for receiving and processing the content of each teaching unitmemory.

With this invention, the teaching system is distributed between acentral processor on the one hand and a plurality of self-containedteaching units on the other hand. This enables the complex and expensiveprogramming required to operate the teaching system to be providedprimarily in the central processor which then services the plurality ofself-contained teaching units by supplying appropriate instructions totheir local processors and receiving the pupil's input (for exampleanswers to questions) for later analysis. Each teaching unit can then bea very simple device which is much cheaper than a conventional PC thusenabling several such teaching units to be provided at relatively lowcost. At the same time, each teaching unit is self-contained so that itcan be used while disconnected from the central processor and could evenbe taken home by a pupil if desired.

In one arrangement, each teaching unit can be connected directly to thecentral processor to enable instructions to be downloaded and thecontents of its memory to be uploaded. However, where there are severalteaching units in the system, this can be time consuming and thereforepreferably the system further comprises an intermediate storage unithaving a housing storing at least one teaching unit and a recording unitwhich connects with the or each teaching unit when the teaching unit islocated within the intermediate storage unit and into which the contentof the teaching unit memory can be uploaded and from which instructionsfrom the central processor can be downloaded.

Typically, the intermediate storage unit can store more than oneteaching unit, for example six such units, thus not only providing astore when the units are not in use but at the same time enabling thecontents of the local memories to be uploaded to the recording unit.

The recording unit could be permanently or temporarily connected to thecentral processor and conveniently is detachable from the rest of theintermediate storage unit to allow it to be connected to the centralprocessor. Typically, the recording unit has a capacity to store theresults of more than one memory and in a typical system will be able tostore the results from more than one memory and corresponding to say aweek's use by pupils.

Although each teaching unit could be powered from a mains supply, inorder to maximize portability, it preferably has an on-board,rechargeable power source. In that event, preferably each intermediatestorage unit includes a power connection which can be connected to acorresponding teaching unit when the teaching unit is loaded into theintermediate storage unit so as to recharge its on-board power source.

The study programmes provided by the system can be of any conventionalform and a particularly important application is in the teaching ofmathematics although other subjects such as languages could be taught.

An example of a teaching system according to the invention will now bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of the system;

FIG. 2 is a plan of one of the teaching units shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-section through one of the intermediatestorage units of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating operation of the system.

The teaching system shown in the drawings comprises a central processor1, such as a personal computer (PC); a number (in this case three) ofintermediate storage units 2-4; and, associated with each storage unit2-4, a set of six teaching units 5-7.

Each teaching unit 5-7 has a similar construction and includes a housing8 (FIG. 2) supporting an LCD display 9 and a set of keys 10. Each unit5-7 also includes a microprocessor 11, a memory such as RAM or flashmemory 12, and a rechargeable power source 13. These are shownschematically for one of the units 5 in FIG. 1.

The microprocessor 11 of each unit 5-7 can be set up to carry out astudy programme which involves the display of information on the LCDdisplay 9. That information may include some teaching information andalso questions enabling a user to enter answers. These answers arestored in the memory 12. The programs implemented by the microprocessor11 can be of a simple or sophisticated form and can also mark answersand support educational games. The flow of the program may alterdepending upon the level of accuracy of the user's responses.

For example, a particular topic might be covered by a particular studyprogramme, the topic being subdivided into a number of stages ofincreasing difficulty, each stage also providing questions of acorresponding difficulty. Less able students might start at the first offour stages whereas more gifted students might start at the secondstage. Students may then move up or down between the stages dependingupon their assessed performance in answering the correspondingquestions.

The microprocessor also allows teachers the ability to interrogate theunit about the student's performance, providing them with various levelsof analysis and details of their questions and answers. Themicroprocessor may also provide an Alert Mode which notifies teacherswhen students are having problems in real time mode. This might be thecase if their performance results in a change of stage or if themicroprocessor assesses that they are not using the unit appropriately.In this way the teacher is able to closely monitor and guide theprogress of each student.

It will be appreciated that each unit 5-7 has a relatively simple form,the complexities being handled in the central processor 1. The centralprocessor 1 includes support software which can carry out one or more ofthe following functions:

Allows teachers to organise students into classes and ability groups.

Lets the teacher create lesson plans for each ability group.

Lets the teacher assign activities from the Application Software Packsto the teaching objectives of the lesson plan.

Allows the teacher to create an activity set up suitable for the abilitygroup and the time in the lesson plan.

Provides the teacher with assessments of the student work.

Provides diagnostic assessment reports letting teachers identify areasof weakness, strength and satisfactory achievements, for individuals orgroups of students.

Allows diagnostic audit to level of questions and answers provided bystudents.

Provides reports for head teachers, parents, other teachers, studentsetc.

In order to interact with the units 5-7, the central processor 1 caneither couple directly with each unit or, as shown in FIG. 1, viarespective ones of the storage units 2-4. The storage units 2-4 have asimilar construction and so the unit 2 will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 3, the unit 2 comprises a box 14 having a lid 15 (whichcan be locked in position) and a raised base 16. The raised base 16 isdivided into six compartments 17-22 divided by walls 23. Eachcompartment has a pair of male connectors 24,25 which engage incorresponding female connectors 26,27 respectively in one of theteaching units 5. It will be seen in FIG. 3 that the teaching unit 5fits conveniently into the compartment 17 so that it can be stored.However, in addition to providing a simple storage facility, the storageunit 2 enables data in the memory 12 to be downloaded via the connectors24,26 to a recording unit 28. The recording unit 28 includes amicroprocessor 29 and a memory, such as Flash RAM, 30. Themicroprocessor 29 detects in a conventional manner when a teaching unit5 has been located in one of the compartments and then transfers thedata in the memory 12 to the memory 30.

In addition, while the unit 5 sits in the compartment 17, itsrechargeable power source 13 is recharged via the male connector 25 anda corresponding female connector 27 connected to the power source 13.Power is supplied from a conventional mains source to the recording unit28 via a line 31.

The capacity of the memory 30 is such that it can store typically aweek's worth of information from each of the six units 5.

The recording unit 28 can be temporarily connected to the centralprocessor 1. Typically, this is achieved by disconnecting the recordingunit 28 from the storage unit 2 and mounting it into a reading device(not shown) coupled with the central processor 1. The central processor1 can then upload the information from the recording unit for subsequentprocessing.

It will be noted, therefore, that data is transmitted in both directionsbetween the central processor 1 and the storage units 2-4 and also inboth directions between the storage units 2-4 and the teaching units5-7. This enables significant flexibility to be achieved in operation ofthe system while also allowing sophisticated study programmeapplications to be implemented.

The general operation of the teaching system is shown in FIG. 4. Basicsupport software relating to the subject to be taught is provided on thecentral processor 1 and this allows a teacher 40 to organise, plan etc.a number of study programmes, possibly different for each student. Inaddition, the teacher can review analyses of answers which have beenuploaded from the teaching units 57.

The details of students, lesson plan activities and the like aredownloaded to the memory 30 in each storage unit 2-4 and themicroprocessor 29 in each storage unit then transfers appropriate lessonplans to each of the teaching units (possibly different lesson plans toeach unit).

Students 41 then interact with the teaching units 5-7.

The microprocessor 11 in each teaching unit 5-7 can provide someimmediate analysis of a students work and also an alert if the studentis having trouble to enable a teacher to immediately deal with this. Theanswers are uploaded into the memory 30 once the teaching unit 5-7 isplaced in its appropriate storage unit 2-4 and these results thenuploaded to the central processor 1, as previously described.

What is claimed is:
 1. A teaching system comprising: a plurality ofself-contained teaching units, each unit having a programmable processorwhich is individually programmable to carry out a study programme, adisplay, an input device, and a memory for storing data input by a user;a central processor, to which each teaching unit can be connecteddirectly or indirectly, for generating and downloading instructions toenable each teaching unit to be programmed, and for receiving andprocessing the content of each teaching unit memory; and an intermediatestorage unit having a housing configured for storing at least oneteaching unit, and a recording unit which connects with the or eachteaching unit when the teaching unit is located within the intermediatestorage unit and into which the content of the teaching unit memory canbe uploaded and from which instructions from the central processor canbe downloaded, wherein the recording unit has a capacity to store thecontent of more than one teaching unit memory.
 2. A system according toclaim 1, wherein each teaching unit has an on-board, rechargeable powersource, the intermediate storage unit including a power connection whichcan be connected to a corresponding teaching unit when the teaching unitis loaded into the intermediate storage unit so as to recharge itson-board power source.
 3. A system according to claim 1, wherein therecording unit is detachable from the rest of the intermediate storageunit.
 4. A system according to claim 3, wherein each teaching unit hasan on-board, rechargeable power source, the intermediate storage unitincluding a power connection which can be connected to a correspondingteaching unit when the teaching unit is loaded into the intermediatestorage unit so as to recharge its on-board power source.
 5. A systemaccording to claim 1 or claim 3 or claim 2 or claim 4, the system beingadapted to provide one or more educational tutorials.
 6. A systemaccording to claim 1 or claim 3 or claim 5 or claim 4, the system beingadapted to provide questions to the user and wherein the answersprovided by the user are used by the system to assess the performance ofthe user.
 7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the level ofdifficulty of the questions provided to the user is dependent upon theassessed performance of the user.
 8. A system according to claim 6,further comprising an alert mode arranged to alert a teacher to theassessed performance of the user.
 9. A system according to claim 7,further comprising an alert mode arranged to alert a teacher to theassessed performance of the user.